Rating: 
Summary: Don't make this the first book you read on the topic...
Review: This is a large body of work containing an enormous amount of information. The reason for the 4 stars is that I just don't feel that all the information from the KGB files can be taken without any skepticism at all. This is not really harsh criticism just an acknowledgement that with the flood of documents coming from the former Soviet Union and it's Republics, some prudent skepticism is called for. It also is not a comment on Mr. Mitrokhin, truth versus deception, disinformation, and lies, was part of the daily life in the Soviet Union. It is possible all his information is uncorrupted, but a bit of a jaundiced view is reasonably called for.The book is interesting and loaded with information. I don't suggest this as a first book about the KGB because it reads more like a textbook; it is very meticulous to the point tedious in detail at times. If the subject is one you have some familiarity with, this volume could serve as an excellent reference work. If this were the first book you were to read on the topic, reaching the end would be challenging. Vasily Nikitich Mitrokhin oversaw 300,000 files on an exhaustive list of prominent names in American History. If there was a person who had access to a library of information, Mr. Mitrokhin certainly qualifies. His willingness to remove information on a daily basis for years on end is both a testament to his courage, and an amazing period of luck. The work is excellent in depth and breadth of material covered. It is not light reading as the subjects that are covered, or sometimes mentioned briefly, have been the topic of entire books. If you are willing to make the effort and devote the time, your knowledge of this particular man's cache of information will greatly expand your knowledge of what some of the KGB's activities were. With the passing of time a more complete picture will emerge of this opponent of The Cold War. It certainly is not the final word on the matter, but an excellent piece of the story. Well worth reading if given the time.
Rating:
Summary: Slow, dry, and detailed - but in a good way...
Review: What struck me most about this book was not the extensiveness of the KGB's operations, but the ineptitude with which they seemed to pursue them. Despite their successful infiltration of numerous institutions within the U.S. & U.K., poor political leadership and an inability to rise above preconceived prejudices doomed most of their operations before they began. The writing, while dry, is incredibly detailed and engrossing. Those seeking a light read should look elsewhere; the book reads like a technical manual. For those interested in the minutiae of intelligence operations, however, will be delighted by the detailed passages and an extensive set of footnotes and bibliography.
Rating: 
Summary: Better read than heard
Review: A lot of detail, and all of it good information. Unfortunately it should not be presented in audio format without a rewrite. It gets difficult when listening to the tape while navigating traffic and having to navigate the acronyms of the various spy agencies.
Rating: 
Summary: Better as a reference book
Review: The whole issue with this book is one of readability. It is stuffed full of names, places and dates but the way the actual events are portrayed makes it a challenge for the reader to parse it all. In other words, the book is about many inherently exciting events presented in the most unexciting manner possible. It's the difference between saying something happened and describing how it happened. Because of this, the book serves better as a reference work (look things up when you need to) as opposed to a non-fiction book describing the events in the archives. While the material is good, it is simply not a book that is enjoyable to read.
Rating:
Summary: A book only a historian could love
Review: Though I am interested in geopolitics, this is not an easy read. The sheer weight of names, faces, events tends to drag one down. I suppose if I wanted fast-paced espionage, I should read a novel. I did find some parts of this book, particularly the revelations about KGB infiltration into the highest reaches of the White House at certain points in time, interesting. Frankly, I am surprised at the level of ineptness of the intelligence services on both sides. The end game of the fall of Communism was covered in fairly short order - I expect this will be the subject of the next volume by the authors, though if it is very much like this one, I doubt I will be reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Essential reading on KGB history
Review: Those of us interesting in a more complete telling of the history of Soviet intelligence operations -- and, for that matter, the history of the USSR -- can do no wrong than to read this account of secret information secretly noted by archivist Vasili Mitrokhin and spirited with Mitrokhin to Britain. While some of the passages require some previous knowledge of Soviet and KGB history, overall this book makes for fascinating reading. I could not put this book down. Thanks for Christopher Andrew for another strong effort, such as his earlier history of the KGB written with Oleg Gordievsky.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: A well documented piece, tends to be repetative and tedious in places. I enjoyed it greatly and most importantly learned a lot about the former Soviet Union's mind set towards the west. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Good look at KGB, but . . .
Review: This book is essential reading for those who want to learn about the strange world of international espionage. Mitrokhin's archives, assuming their authenticity, solve a lot of old puzzles of the Cold War spying game. My greatest reservation about the book concerns Andrew's interpretations of the KGB material. He assumes throughout that the KGB's leaders were a pack of paranoids and that Americans were largely innocent of adverse designs against the USSR. In fact we won't know the whole story of Cold War espionage until we learn more about what remains concealed in the vaults of the U.S. and U.K. security services.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Read
Review: This book may be a slow read at times, but it is still a fascinating one. Most telling are the revelations concerning Soviet financial support for other Communist parties, right up to the collapse of the USSR.
Rating: 
Summary: Comprehensive book which shows the KGB's (sub)human side.
Review: Though not all the revelations in this book aren't exactly new, they don't have to be. What Andrews does is lay out some new details on some old spys and spymasters. More often than not, the details of the individuals that worked for the KGB and it's brothers during the Cold War often resembled Maxwell Smart rather than James Bond. That the foreign spies who worked for Warsaw Pact intelligence services, and the agents who ran them, were often deeply flawed human beings is no surprise. However, the details provided by Mitrohkin definitely show a side of the KGB that takes much of the mystery off of its reputation. This is not to say the KGB had huge successes and was not a threat - quite the contrary. The portrayal of Yuri Andropov as a paranoid addicted to conspiracy theories is especially frightening considering his rise to the pinnacle of power in the old USSR. The book ultimately succeeds in laying out the case that the old Soviet Union, and the KGB, died due to its own contradictions. For all the information gathered by the KGB, much if not most of it was squandered due to bureaucratic ineptitude and a sychophantic corps of analysis that, regardless of the information provided to it at great costs, told the decision-makers what they wanted to hear.
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